The place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Jubilee Year of Mercy

童貞聖母瑪利亞在慈悲禧年的地位

Celia Chua, MIC, 2016

Introduction: 前言:

The Pope Francis proclaimed that the year 2016 is the Year of Mercy. The theme is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke 6:36, be merciful as your Father is merciful. I am sure many conferences have been organized in the parishes in order to deepen the meaning of mercy (Reflection –prayers) and give us some concrete ways (actions) to actualize it as missionary disciples of Jesus. My contribution on this topic of mercy is not to multiply knowledges but to integrate and unify the Doctrine of the Church with practices (devotion). First, I will simply recall the meaning of Mercy in Greek, some resources used by Pope Francis, then, the importance of experiential process of mercy in our daily life and finally, to show how Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of mercy and her Immaculate Heart can guide us to be merciful as the Father is merciful.

教宗方濟各宣定2016年為慈悲禧年, 主題是採自路加福音6章36節, “你們應當慈悲，就像你們的父那樣慈悲。” 我確信在各個堂區已組成許多小組, 來深化慈悲的意義(觀照-祈禱)並給我們一些具體方法(行動),讓身為基督宗徒者加以實踐. 我在慈悲的這個主題上提出的, 不是要繁衍見識, 而是以實際的作法(奉獻)去統整教會的教義.首先,我要簡單回顧一下,慈悲在希臘文的意思, 一些教宗方濟各所引用的來源,然後是, 經歷我們平日慈悲的重要性,乃至最終顯示童貞聖母瑪利亞,仁慈之母,及她的無玷聖心, 如何引領我們慈悲，就像天父那樣慈悲.

1. The meaning of mercy in Hebrew 希伯來文中慈悲的意義

Hesed is used in the Old Testament, especially in the psalms to described God, the long and famous one is Ps.103. In which mercy is even translated from Hebrew as lovingkindness, tenderness filled with compassion and pity. For the Jewish people, hesed even goes deeper than the surface of doing good deeds, it is a process of transformation into a being of mercy like the Father. Hesed root words comes from the symbol of inner most organ of the (womb) of a mother. Where life is. Therefore, when we speak about mercy, it is the source of God’s inner being, loving kindness, compassion and pity.

Hesed一字被用於舊約,特別是描述天主的聖詠集, 長篇而著名的聖詠103章; 其中慈悲甚至由希伯來文翻譯為充滿悲憫的慈愛與溫柔. 對猶太人來說, hesed更是深過表面所做的好行為,那是轉化為如天父般慈悲的過程. Hesed的字根是由象徵母親最內裏的器官(子宮)而來, 那是生命的所在. 因此, 當我們說到慈悲, 那是天主的內在存有, 慈愛良善, 同情與憐憫的本源.

Hesed calls for experiences of pardon, forgiveness and many more that extend the horizon of personal relationship with God to others.

Hesed的意旨在於體現原諒、寬恕及更多天主對他人所開展出的個別關係.

For example in the New Testament, Jesus reflects the face of incarnate mercy of God. In many parables, especially the Good Shepherd, Jesus cares, protects, guides, and nourishes the sheep. He is the model of a true human relationship in mutuality of friendship and affection as members of a Christian community.

比如新約中的例子, 耶穌化身天主的慈悲面容; 在許多尤其是善牧的譬喻, 耶穌照顧、保護、引領並哺餵羊羣; 祂是人類真實關係中互相友好與基督徒羣體裏相親相愛的典範.

2. The importance of experiential process, Misericordiae Vultus, 2015, # 8, 19. 經歷的重要, 慈悲的面容, 2015, #8, 19

Pope Francis in his letter on the Jubilee Year of Mercy points out the importance of a transformation process (conversion) that needs personal experiences of God’s mercy in our own life before being able to be merciful to others. To remember one’s own personal salvation history in the light of God’s loving kindness, full of tenderness and compassion. In the silence of our heart, with open hands, to name the graces received then give thanks. In our family, society, community and others groups, where we belong, the presence of God’s merciful love can be recognized if only we have but an attentive heart, like Mary, who ponders in her heart and exclaim, indeed it is the Lord who works wonderful deeds!

教宗方濟各在他的慈悲禧年書信中指出,在能夠對他人慈悲之前,需在我們自己的生活中, 先有天主慈悲的個人經驗, 這個轉變過程(轉化)的重要性;不要忘了，在充滿溫柔與憐憫的天主慈愛良善之光中, 還有個人自已的救贖經歷. 我們內心的沉靜中,張開雙手指出所受的恩寵,並加以感謝.在我們所屬的家庭、社會、社區及其他團體中, 只要像具有體恤之心與呼喚的聖母瑪利亞般,保有一顆殷切的心,天主,真確奇妙作為的上主,慈愛的臨在便可以被看見。

Mercy is the source of our Christian life and love because God is merciful. Hence, if we experience God, can we keep to ourselves? Definitely not, we share the good news, the joy of the Gospel is being reached out especially to those who are in need, the works of mercy are multiple as well as the spiritual works of mercy. The Holy Spirit of God will guide us to put our feet and extend our hands to where and with whom the suffering of Christ is most needed.

慈悲是我們基督徒生命與愛的泉源，因天主慈悲為懷；於是，只要我們經驗了天主，我們能夠將這經驗自已保存下來嗎？肯定是不行的，我們分享好消息，福音的喜樂就要傳揚出去，特別是給那些有需要的人，慈悲的事工是繁多的，慈悲的靈修事工也是如此。天主聖神會引領我們，將我們的腳和手伸向最需要基督苦難的地方與人。

Mary in the jubilee of mercy, she is the Mother of Mercy and her immaculate heart.Coming to the heart of our conversation, we contemplate Mary with her thousand faces and many titles. Two icons stands out during this year is Mary, Mother of Mercy and her immaculate heart.

慈悲禧年的聖母瑪利亞，是仁慈與無玷聖心之母，在我們交談的心中，我們以她的千種靣貌和諸多身份來默想聖母；兩個代表這一年的圖像是， 仁慈之母瑪利亞及她的無玷聖心。 3. Mary, Mother of Mercy 聖母瑪利亞， 仁慈之母

She is the mother of Jesus, the incarnate mercy of God, the Father. She has experienced God’s mercy from Annunciation to Assumption. In her song of the Magnificat she sings God’s mercy not only for herself but for all generations. She is full of grace because she lives by faith- grace alone. Her Immaculate Conception points to our human dignity as beloved children of God and our destiny: Eternal home, dwelling place with God.

她是耶穌的母親，天主父的慈悲化身，她從領報降孕到被接昇天，體現天主的慈悲；在謝主曲中，她不僅為自己也為世世代代唱出天主的慈悲。她因單為信德的恩寵生活而充滿聖寵；她的無玷始胎指向我們如天主鍾愛子女般的人性尊嚴，以及我們的天命：永生的家，與天主同處之地。

4. Devotion to the Immaculate heart of Mary 聖母無玷聖心的奉獻

Mary’s heart is immaculate as the Church is anticipating the centennial of the apparition in Fatima, Portugal (1917-2017). A brief summary of the 13 apparitions of Mary to three children and is in the important messages of conversion and prayer, in another word, to return to God’s love and mercy. Mary manifested to the three children, her immaculate heart. What is in the inner life of Mary’s heart that is immaculate? This is the fruit of her immaculate conception. She is created according to the original plan of God for humanity: pure and sinless. In the plan of Salvation through Jesus Christ, we are invited to transform our hearts like that of the Immaculate of heart of Mary.

聖母的無玷聖心，就如教會預期葡萄牙法蒂瑪聖女的百年（1917-2017）啟示。聖母瑪利亞透過交談與祈禱，傳遞重要訊息給三名童女的13個預示，換言之，就是回報天主的愛與慈悲。瑪利亞昭示她的無玷聖心給那三位女童；聖母瑪利亞無玷聖心的內在生命是什麼呢？就是她無玷始胎的果實。她因天主為人類的起源計劃而受造： 純潔無玷。由耶穌基督而行的救贖計劃，我們受邀將我們的心，轉化為聖母瑪利亞般的無玷聖心。

The true devotion of the immaculate heart of Mary is related to God’s Mercy. It correspond to the inner life and beauty of Mary, coming from the very source of God’s graces. In the beauty of her ‘yes’ throughout her life, Mary is completely transformed by God’s mercy. Her inner life rests upon the Mercy of God for her and for her people.

聖母瑪利亞無玷聖心的真實奉獻與天主的慈悲有關；這相當是瑪利亞那源自天主恩寵的內在生命與美善。在她貫徹生命答“是”之美上，瑪利亞完全受天主慈悲的轉化，她的內在生命安歇在天主為她和敬仰她的人所施予的慈悲中。

Her beauty is salvific, she is the Mother for all humanity, and she intercedes for us, the humble and the needy. Her beauty is by her example: she protects and guide us to forgive, pardon and be merciful as the Father is. During this jubilee year rich in mercy, we can then invoke her immaculate heart to experience and recognize God’s mercy.

她的美是救贖的，她是所有人類之母，而且她為謙卑匱乏的我們代禱。她的美是因為她的典範：她護佑引領我們原諒，寬恕，並如天父般慈悲。值此富於慈悲的聖年，我們就可以呼求她的無玷聖心，讓我們體現並認出天主的慈悲。

In sum, throughout the centuries, apparitions always stress the message of Christ: our God is loving and kind, full of mercy and compassion. With Mary, our Mother of Mercy, she urges us to pray, to be converted and do some practical manifestations (acts of mercy) to integrate our faith life in the world, society and the Church.

總括言之，縱橫整個世紀，預示始終強調基督的訊息：我們的天主慈愛良善，充滿仁慈悲憫，而聖母瑪利亞，仁慈之母，她勸導我們祈禱，接受轉化，並進行一些實際的揭示（慈悲的行動），來凝聚我們在世界，在社會以及在教會裏的信仰生活。